As promised last time out. Here’s the late Tim B. From ICA 193, published on 18 October 2018.
We did add a rule when writing these ICA’s – no more than 4 singles on the album, and it must contain at least one B Side, remix or cover version, it can contain more if you want it to. I may be slightly hoisted by my own petard here, as I own no Arctic Monkeys cover versions (actually I own one, a live version of a Beatles song, but it is rubbish, so we’ll ignore that) and I’m fairly sure that they’ve never been remixed. But then again, four of their six albums are masterpieces, so I’ll be alright I think.
People say that ‘Humbug’ was patchy (it sounds way too much like the Queens of the Stone Age to be honest), but I think it’s one of the four masterpieces that I mention up top (the two that aren’t are the second album and the most recent one in case we are playing Arctic Monkeys poker at all). ‘Cornerstone’ is lovely as well, an obvious album highlight, which stood out at the very first listen. It shows off what Alex Turner is famous for, subtle and intricate songcraft. The song is packed with vivid lyrics and observation about various watering holes and females who remind Turner of someone, we never find out who, but the song is so beautiful we don’t really care.
mp3: Arctic Monkeys – Cornerstone
It was the second single from Humbug, released as such 16 November 2009, a few months after the album first hit the shops.
Here’s the three tracks included as b-sides on the 10″ version:-
mp3: Arctic Monkeys – Catapult
mp3: Arctic Monkeys – Sketchead
mp3: Arctic Monkeys – Fright Lined Dining Room
Like the previous single Crying Lightning, the vinyl was made available only in Oxfam shops, which meant it was never going to chart at any high position. It peaked at #94.
The four songs do illustrate that there’s nothing predictable about Arctic Monkeys, with all of them offering up something different musically.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 